David DePape, the man found guilty Thursday of federal crimes linked to the home invasion of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and the bloody hammer attack on her husband, Paul, still faces several felonies in state court, including attempted murder, which could land him in prison for the rest of his life.
The next hearing in the state case is scheduled for Nov. 29, when a judge will likely set a trial date.
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The state of California has slapped DePape with charges of attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse, residential burglary, false imprisonment, and threats to a public official and their family.
While the federal charges against DePape were tied directly to his motivation to hurt Paul Pelosi and attempt to kidnap Nancy Pelosi because of her official duties in Congress, the state charges do not make that requirement.
The longtime lawmaker issued a statement following Thursday's guilty verdict on behalf of her family, where she thanked people for their support but withheld comment on legal matters because the state case was still pending.
"The Pelosi family is very proud of their Pop, who demonstrated extraordinary composure and courage on the night of the attack a year ago and in the courtroom this week," the statement said.
DePape's federal trial lasted four days, and the jury reached its decision after deliberating for about eight hours.
"What this guilty verdict on all counts sends is a clear message that regardless of what your beliefs are, what you cannot do is physically attack a member of Congress or their immediate family for their performance in their job," U.S. Attorney Ismail Ramsey said outside the San Francisco courthouse, adding he hopes the verdicts will serve as a statement against political violence.
DePape, who once lived under a tree in Berkeley, California, and pushed for nudists rights, became obsessed with right-wing conspiracy theories, which he testified led him down a path where he believed the Pelosis were part of a dangerous cabal of lawmakers, celebrities, and pedophiles who were working in concert to bring down the country. He testified in his own defense on Tuesday and said he had become consumed with these theories, believed them wholeheartedly, and thought it was up to him to stop their nefarious plans.
His public defenders acknowledged he had committed the heinous crimes against the Pelosis but argued that he did not do them because of Nancy Pelosi's job, a claim jurors rejected.
DePape said he wanted to talk to the congresswoman about Russia's involvement in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and that he had planned to show up wearing an inflatable unicorn costume and upload his interrogation of her online. His objective was to get her and other "targets" to admit to their alleged corruption and then get President Joe Biden to issue pardons "so we can move forward as a country." Nancy Pelosi was in Washington, D.C., during the attack.
DePape also admitted to telling law enforcement authorities that if his plan to break Nancy Pelosi's kneecaps had been successful, she would have been wheeled onto the floor of the House of Representatives and that all other lawmakers would fall in line and realize the consequences of being "the most evil people on the planet."
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Paul Pelosi, 83, also testified, telling jurors about the night he was awakened in his sleep by DePape, who had a hammer and zip ties on him and was demanding to talk to his wife. He recounted a 911 call he made and how he got DePape to go downstairs.
When the authorities showed up, DePape and Paul Pelosi both had their hands on the hammer. They were instructed to drop it, but DePape wrestled it away and started to bludgeon Paul Pelosi with it. Authorities arrested DePape, and Paul Pelosi was taken to the emergency room to be treated for a fractured skull and other injuries. He was released from the hospital six days later.